How To Be A Heartbreaker
by Skyla Pearl
Summary: Maribelle decides to help Olivia loosen up her shy, introverted nature and to practice speaking with Noblemen with the help of a conversation based book. Follows all three of their Support conversations. Slight Maribelle/Gaius
1. Chapter 1

**I got my hands on Fire Emblem Awakening. Time to desecrate that, too. Okay, fine. I loved Fire Emblem Awakening and the Support System has some pure gold. The most glittering of them all to me was the Maribelle and Olivia Supports.**

 _ **How to Be A Heartbreaker:**_

 _ **Chapter 1**_

The girl's dances were so beautiful and intricate. As an esteemed noble like her saw performers left and right, Maribelle knew what qualified as the highest caliber and this girl was surely it. Her twirls were eloquent and graceful, her long rose-colored hair swirling and swishing in a mesmerizing fashion. They were so loose and unrestrained, the complete opposite of Maribelle's curls, which were set up through curlers each night and had to undergo a rigorous process for their contained perfection. Her clothes were loose, presumably because she needed free movements, but it somehow made it easier for Maribelle to study her complete movements.

It was also nighttime and the shading from the sleeping town on different parts of the girl's body provided for some sensuous forms of chiaroscuro as she danced across the woods.

The only thing that was disrupting the gracefulness of this girl's private performance was her own reactions and movements. "ONE and TWO and THREE..." she kept counting, rather unevenly, Maribelle, thought, as she would sometimes count to eight, sometimes to seven, and once she counted to eleven. "One more pirouette aaaaaand... Hold for applause! Yay, Olivia! Woooo! Standing ovation! Olivia's the best! Marry me, Olivia!" She would say this in a tiny whisper and made fake shouting noises.

 _Silly little thing_ , Maribelle thought as the girl held her stance. She was standing on one leg, the other was held high in the air almost completely backwards. Despite her heavy breathing, she managed to keep that position still.

Maribelle decided it was time to step out of her hiding place behind the tree. "You dance rather well."

Olivia, still in her balanced position, fumbled forward with her remaining foot, but caught herself as her face showed complete surprise. "Eeeek! Maribelle! How long have you been standing there?!"

"From the beginning, darling. I didn't mean to spy, but your dance was so wonderful! I just couldn't bring myself to interrupt."

"But it's so late! I saw you and the rest sleeping in the barracks!"

Maribelle let out a polite titter. If her curls were down, they would have bounced alongside her tilted head. "Oh, darling. These are my lands, after all!" After Chrom's army had defeated the Mad King Gangrel and avenged the Exalt's death, there was a little bit of a lapse in the army. While many had wanted to return to their normal lives, they had realized that they had close calls with death and had wanted to get in on some extra training. Maribelle had put her land, Themis, to use and had allowed for those to train with Frederick, herself included, as was Olivia.

There was also the occasional Risen skirmish, but that had also served as practice for the army.

Despite how peaceful things were, they always needed to stay prepared and Maribelle wasn't a good sleeper, anyway.

Maribelle knew the real reason why Olivia stayed behind and it was also for the same reason Maribelle had also opened her lands to Chrom's troops: Chrom was looking for a wife.

Emmeryn hadn't even looked at a single male during her time and now she was gone without an heir. Chrom and Lissa were unmarried and had no children, either, and if an assassination attempt were made on either one, then Ylisse would go to flames as families like hers and that of Ricken's and Sumia's would fight over their possible lineage to Marth, showing all kinds of papers and stretching truths about their ancestor's deeds.

The kingdom was stirring and gossip was everywhere. This had been the second time in such a short timespan where she had encountered other member's of the Shepherds engaged in nightly activities.

Maribelle recalled how during the other day, she had caught that street urchin who damned her father stirring in her kitchen the other night, looking for some of those teeth rotting candies he was so fond of. Or rather, he wanted to make one for himself.

"You! What are you doing here in the kitchen! Out!" Maribelle had jumped up to his level and gave him a well-deserved slap.

"Calm down, Twinkles. I just need to find the sugar here. Got a recipe here for honeysugar and I'm not gonna waste it," he said while massaging his stinging cheek.

"Honeysugar?" she said. She instantly regretted asking.

"Yeah. You get some sugar and pour honey on it."

 _Barbarian_ , she thought. "The kitchen is for the Shepherds, you uncouth slob! Get out or I will call Frederick and he will make you do night rounds for your inconsideration." But he was unperturbed by her threat.

"I thought I told you to calm down, Twinkles." He relaxed his stance and leaned on a countertop. "Hey, what if I told you some info you don't know about yourself and in exchange you could give me my sugar."

"Information? On me? What could you possibly _have_ to tell me about?" The urchin slid up on the countertop and sat there. His legs dangled for a second, but then he perched them to reach his face. Maribelle hated herself for being caught off-guard. This thief had something of a talent for catching her like this, especially when in battle.

"It has to do with your future and it could be quite a doozy. Do we have a deal?" He already could sense the interest on Maribelle's face as though she were some kind of butterscotch.

Maribelle shook her head and sighed. She took out the master key hidden in a necklace that reached down to her chest and opened up the pantry adjacent to the kitchen full of the supplies. She got inside and took out one of the bags of sugar. She sighed again for a moment, unbelieving she was resorting to this man's bribery.

"Good." He said when she stepped out and locked the door. He jumped out of his spot and whipped out the jar of honey he had hidden in a pocket as he poured sugar on an empty bowl he took out of one of the lower cabinets.

"Now what is this information you've got for me?"

"Ah yes. Emmeryn's dead, which is such a shame, really. She was such a nice lady." Maribelle glared at his nonchalance as he squeezed the jar of honey into the bowl of sugar. "And poor old Chrom is the new Exalt to be. Though we're really the same age, but still."

"Please get to the point."

The urchin huffed. "Fine, Twinkles. Have it your way, then. I heard Blue and Freddy talking in Freddy's study about potential queens and there's a shortlist of five girls." Maribelle didn't breathe as he said this. "You can see where I'm goin' with this, don't you?" He began grinding the bowl and continued to speak. "You, Stumbles, Bubbles, Miss Stay-Out-Of-The-Kitchen, and the Babe."

"I don't speak Ruffian."

The urchin sampled a honeysugar and smacked his lips. "Needs more sugar. You, Sumia, Robin, Sully, and Olivia."

"Me?"

"Why _not_ you, Twinkles? You're one of those royals. So's Stumbles. Blue likes Bubbles' brains and thinks Sully's pretty hot. Don't get me started on how he even looks at that dancer chick. I mean, who wouldn't with that body she has." As she heard his words, Maribelle had felt a sudden rage and had booted that annoying ruffian from the kitchen with his stupid midnight snack in hand.

And here she was now with the dancer in her element and even then she was so introverted and wilting that she put Sumia to shame. Everything that came out of her mouth was either a stutter or she spoke in such a low voice that it took Maribelle all of her listening power to understand her.

Truth be told, Maribelle liked managing what she knew she could do, like her estate. She had been trained to help run the estate from such a young age and was studying to be a magistrate. But that was the thing. She was training to be a magistrate, not a queen. The idea of running a kingdom was a tall order. But Maribelle was a believer in all things fair and if this girl who clearly needed confidence and resolve to match that poise and dignity had a shot at becoming queen, then why wouldn't she help her? She had so much potential and her dances could inspire nations and be the subjects of books to come about the Dancing Queen of Ylisse.

"When you dance, you're so...daring! You stand tall and proud, completely unafraid to meet the watcher's eye. You exhibit great strength and dignity." Maribelle wasn't one to give compliments unless she truly meant it.

The girl stumbled on her words, unable to meet her face. "Oh, er. Yes, I'm sure you're right... I guess. But—"

"Ugh. Very well. If you won't do it yourself, I'll just have to aid you. You'll grow a backbone if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming!" The flames of the fire that Olivia had made struck brilliantly for a moment. "Pluck! Grit! Dignity! Resolve! Pick any noun you like! Hmm... I'll have to think about the best way to whip you into shape. This may take a bit. I'll let you know when the first lesson is ready." Maribelle left into the night and finally found the need to sleep, even if the curlers in her hair made her toss and turn endlessly.

* * *

The next day after their training regimen, Maribelle had overseen some of the estate expenditures and stayed behind while Chrom's army dealt with some Risen over at that village child's town.

When she finally had time for herself, she made a beeline to her father's library slash study.

"Now where are those books on conversation?" she asked to the empty room.

It was tidy and if it weren't for the maids, then this place could easily gather dust. Despite that, some of the books were centuries old and the scent of the books always overwhelmed Maribelle whenever she walked in. She flicked her parasol and used it to skim for any book titles that could potentially help the poor dear.

" _Iron Fists, Parasol styles, Armies and Guardians, Feelings and How to Destroy Them_...No, no, and no!" She kept skimming with her parasol. " _Proper Diction: A Beginner's Guide_? No. She is not a child," she said while wrinkling her nose. She went over to another bookshelf. " _Bought for the Duke's Bed_?" In the picture was an illustration of a man with rippling muscles and a woman not unlike Olivia with a shy grin being held in his arms. "Perhaps later," Maribelle said while tucking the book in her pocket. None of them needed to know her weak spot for badly written romances.

When she turned around, she saw something moving underneath a curtain. Maribelle angrily sauntered over and pulled the curtain. That redheaded ruffian was there. "You! You urchin!" She gripped her parasol with ferocity and thwacked him on the head. She had wished she had her book of Elthunder, but alas.

He laughed, his green eyes glistening with mischief under the light of the window. " _Bought for the Duke's Bed_?"

"I did not expect for someone like you in this room. I'd expect you as nothing more than some illiterate scrum. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted a cookbook. I'd expect you to have something alongside that but instead I found little Twinkles here finding romance books. Here to fantasize about Blue? I saw more romance books around—" he pointed but Maribelle decided he needed another good whacking on the head courtesy of her parasol.

"Be quiet, you insufferable brigand! You continue to fly by my side like a persistent urchin despite your claims of being a changed man."

"Ouch! Okay, you win, Twinkles. You said somethin' about conversation, eh?" he said while scratching his head. "I found this inside daddy's study." He took out a tiny weathered book that really looked more like a pamphlet from his satchel. "It looked pretty neat."

"How dare you!" Maribelle snatched the weathered book from his hands. There was some kind of a sticky substance on where his hands were and the book was missing pages, including its title. Maribelle reminded herself to get a shower afterwards from how sticky the book proved to be. "And if I see you loitering again, I will demand for Frederick to give you special training."

With that, she spun around and left the library with the overwhelming need to wash her hands.

* * *

After her longer-than-usual shower, Robin had approached her while she was brushing her hair with her custom made brush. She had a paper pad on both of her hands and a quill rested on her ear. Robin was typically in charge of arranging the battles, but would often come to the women for consent while Frederick or Chrom would handle that for the men.

"Hey Maribelle. We need you to help fight the Risen for tonight's battle. Is that okay because some of the other Shepherds are kind of tired?"

"Oh of course, darling! You needn't say another word!"She had just learned the study of becoming a Valkyrie in battle last month and was eager to master all of the spell textbooks. Besides, she was a better night fighter.

"Good, I'll mark you down! Thanks Maribelle!"

She got dressed in her Valkyrie attire and readied her steed for battle.

 **A/N: In case anyone is wondering, Maribelle has reached B support with Gaius. Also, I didn't expect Gaius to be this involved in the story, he just wanted to be written and that's the way the sugar cookie crumbles..**


	2. Chapter 2

_**How to Be A Heartbreaker:**_

 _ **Chapter 2**_

Olivia was adjusting her headband in her quarters when there was a knock on her door. Olivia currently had the tiny space to herself but generally roomed with Panne whenever space was a problem. However, Panne was one of the people in Chrom's Shepherds who decided to wander around the globe after defeating the Mad King instead of going through training.

Olivia liked her and missed their short, yet meaningful conversations. It was strange as Panne was probably the most quiet member of the Shepherds after Olivia herself, but she was able to make a stronger bond than normal with her.

But ever since Panne left, Olivia had been mostly on her own. Seeing Maribelle last night was the first time Olivia had any kind of an extended interaction with anyone. The door knocked again even louder as Olivia adjusted her thoughts.

"Right," she said and unlocked the door. She slowly opened it and felt that familiar rush of fear as she stared at the small space, hoping it wasn't anybody threatening. But it was just Robin.

"Oh, it's only you," Olivia said, breathing in a sigh of relief.

"Uhhh, yeah," Robin said absentmindedly. "I was wondering if you could help fight some Risen tonight. Chrom and Freddy-Bear, er, I mean Frederick fought earlier today and I'm doing the night shift this evening."

Without thinking, Olivia slowly nodded. She was hoping she could get some dance practice tonight but tomorrow was another day.

"Good! Thank you so much! I'll mark you down and we'll meet outside of Maribelle's estate within the hour."

Olivia slightly nodded.

She didn't do much to get ready since she was mostly dressed. All she had left to do was gather up her iron sword, which unfortunately was starting to show some cracks in it. She forgot to ask Robin about getting a new Iron Sword from the convoy or purchasing it from one of the Annas who wandered around the continent (and beyond). Anyway, she didn't want to seem like a burden to the group anyway and Robin had already left Olivia's door to recruit whoever was left for battle.

Olivia made a quick spin around the tiny room and slammed into a nightstand while at it.

"Ouch!" she winced, and quickly began massaging her hip. Even though no one would ever watch her dance here, she had no space to dance or even twirl around to get her sword if she so pleased. She craved the open space outside. Olivia buckled the sword strap to her waist and headed out.

The group was starting to unite and Olivia counted who was there. Other than Robin, the strange Plegian mage was there, talking to Robin and if she wasn't talking to her, then she was staring with such an intensity. The male mage, Ricken, was there too. Cordelia was literally hovering near the door on her Pegasus, looking as sullen as always and Stalh was talking to a tree. Gaius had been the next person to come to the front and finally, Maribelle had joined the group.

"Okay, let me take a roll call. I think that's all of us." Robin took everyone who made it out and counted eight other people, even though Olivia only saw seven.

As the marched forward, Maribelle had ridden besides Olivia.

"Hello there, Olivia," Maribelle said as her horse matched Olivia's walking speed.

"H-hi there Maribelle." They made polite conversation, mostly on Maribelle's part while Olivia made small replies. She wanted this to be over with so that she could dance by herself tonight but Maribelle proved to be a force to reckon with.

"Hmm, I didn't expect that many archers," Robin suddenly said. "Cordelia, you team up with me. I'd like at least four of you to go down that slope and two of you to go past the bridge and give them a surprise attack."

"Hey Robin, I'd like to go straight ahead with you," Tharja, the female dark mage said.

Robin kept a straight face. "No. Ideally, I'd want you to go past the bridge. Take Kellam with you."

"Who?" Tharja said.

"Um," said a tree nearby.

"Ugh. Come on," Tharja said with a much more sullen tone.

"Olivia and I can go under the bridge, right Olivia?" Maribelle volunteered.

"Y-yes!" Olivia said. "It'll be no problem!"

"Good!" Robin said cheerfully and both of them made their way under the bridge. Maribelle and her horse leapt from ledge to ledge with grace while Olivia carefully slid down the slope. She felt glad she choose shoes with traction over the ones she primarily used for dancing.

It was dark down here under the bridge and Olivia felt scared as they made their way forward. She usually felt a sense of comfort at night but this felt eerie.

"Don't worry, Olivia. I battled here a couple of months ago with Chrom. It isn't too bad here, but the stench is quite nauseating. Just stay close to me and I can ward off the Risen." Luckily, there was the moonlight once they got out of the bridge's shadow, but it still wasn't enough light but it would do.

Olivia liked to consider herself as proficient in sensory things and it didn't smell like the dead. It smelled more like...well, it smelled sweet.

"Hey Babe," a voice said in the darkness.

"EEEEK!" Olivia yelped and held onto the large shadow that was Maribelle's horse. The horse itself gave a panicked whinny and Maribelle gave it a loud shhh.

"It's only me," the voice said. Upon further inspection, Olivia could make out that it was Gaius.

"You cur! Why I should..." Olivia saw Maribelle leap down from her horse and gave their listener a whack on the head with her staff.

"Hey! That's not its intended use! It's supposed to heal me! Owww!"

"Oh, I'll show _you_ the intended use of my staff!" Maribelle said with a hostility that Olivia could easily see come out of Maribelle. She was glad she wasn't on her bad side.

Olivia shook her head. She didn't like conflict. "Um, you two should break it off. We're kinda in a fight right now and if Robin saw us..."

"That ruffian is hell-bent on following me!" Maribelle spat out.

"Hey, it's only because I know you're up to something," he said a little too quickly. Olivia could see his eyes shift over to a random spot even as he spoke. Did he and Maribelle have some kind of connection or a past together? Olivia was good at sensing half-truths and nothing could ever get past her.

"Hehhhhhhhhh" a voice said in the darkness. Olivia sheathed her sword from its scabbard while Maribelle and Gaius continued to squabble as they made their way underneath the bridge.

Olivia took a tentative step forward from Gaius and Maribelle and closed her eyes. _They're here, aren't they? This is so spooky! Remember everything Basilio taught you, okay, Olivia? Open your eyes and figure out what to do next._

She readied her sword and swung at the figure she was certain was a Risen. She could hear the bow string being prepared. Olivia sprinted and jammed her sword into the Risen's body. She closed her eyes again, hoping to not see the gory details of its guts on her sword, but to her horror she stumbled forward and opened her eyes once more.

Her sword broke.

She had barely made a dent onto her undead opponent. It snarled, as though she had just annoyed it rather than given it any harm.

"Oh no!"

"OLIVIA! This is all your fault, Gaius! Elfire!" Maribelle yelled charging her horse while the Risen had charged its arrow over to Olivia. She braced for the pain she would soon feel in her heart, or maybe even in her face as it aimed. Olivia covered her face, preferring it would aim for her heart.

But Maribelle had come right in time and blocked the blow with her horse's armor.

Then she felt a stabbing pain in her left elbow, of all places.

Olivia doubled over in pain as Maribelle and Gaius took over. She saw a second Risen who had aimed from the side. "Ahhh! It hurts so much!" Olivia had felt pain lots of times but she had never been stabbed like this before. The pain was burning, searing, and completely hot.

She saw a shock of thunder hit the Risen who had shot her, but it hadn't come from Maribelle, but Ricken instead as Olivia could see his small profile. "Guess I got here in time once again!"

"Oh thank you Ricken!" Maribelle said but Olivia couldn't see the action taking place as the pain distracted her line of thought.

"Hah! Never underestimate me!" he said while Maribelle shot him a knowing look.

Olivia could see a hand extended in front of her. "Babe, here, take my hand." It was Gaius, who helped her up. He licked his lips. "Mmm. Looks like you've been shot, Babe. Nothing fatal or anything."

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" Maribelle said as she and her horse stood side-by-side with Ricken, fending off the Risen.

"Can you still dance?" Gaius asked. Olivia saw a shock of green in his eyes from the thunder and she shuddered, wondering if it was because of the pain or because he was standing so close to her.

Olivia gave an uncertain swish of her hips. The movement made her pain subside for a fleeting moment. "I don't...wanna leave the battle." Olivia felt useless whenever she battled and this was no different, except this time everything had quickly gone wrong. "Can't be...useless..."

"You aren't useless, Olivia," he said, for once not calling her Babe.

"Gaius, switch places with me!" Maribelle said. "I know what to do."

"All right, then. Have at it, Maribelle."

Maribelle's horse galloped to where Gaius was standing. "I can most certainly mend your wound, but all it can do is numb the pain. Perhaps Lissa can help lodge the arrowhead out."

Olivia felt dread at the thought of people waking up from their sleep to help her from her wounds. She berated herself for allowing herself to get wounded like this.

"Stand still, darling. Okay, you're not bleeding very much, which is a prime concern for us."

A light breeze caressed the area where the arrow poked and the pain did subside, though she still felt a light ebb. Olivia compared it to a light crescendo on a particularly dramatic routine that would inevitably increase as time went on. But this would have to do.

"That's about all I can do, Olivia. Do you feel better, at least?"

"Give us a dance!" Gaius said to her while slamming his sword into a Risen's chest. It's guts exploded for a second as it dissolved into the earth once more. But whenever Olivia couldn't fight, she knew she was there to bring morale up for the troops. She couldn't be useless.

"Gaius, no!" Maribelle protested.

"We need to speed up the process," Olivia said. "You go back and I'll stay behind."

Olivia's swished her hips and sidestepped her feet. Her movements were limited, so she had to exert morale in other ways. Olivia let out a note and hummed the melody to an old Feroxi fight song.

"Whoa, you sing really nice!" Ricken said after deposing a Risen.

"Uhh, thanks," Olivia said, her cheeks feeling red.

"You should do it more."

Olivia continued to sing as long as the trio kept fighting. Maribelle would come to her side every few minutes and check her wound.

"We're done here!" Robin's cheery voice echoed from above soon after Maribelle destroyed the final Risen. "Everyone okay?"

"Olivia's been hit by an arrow but the three of us are fine!" Ricken yelled back.

"What? Oh no! I'll be there as soon as I can." Robin was present in seconds. "Whoa that's awful, but Lissa can help out with that."

Olivia winced. "Oh, but she can do it tomorrow. I don't want to interrupt her sleep."

"Are you listening to yourself right now?" Robin said, shaking her head. "It's fine. Lissa has the medical training we need to treat wounds like that. It could infect if we don't deal with it right away. Come on."

* * *

Olivia was given a sleeping spell when Lissa took out the arrowhead from her elbow, even though she didn't remember how she fell asleep. One moment she was lying on her good side in a room occupied by Lissa, Maribelle, and Robin and the next, it was daylight outside and only Maribelle was present, watching over her while pacing.

Olivia rose from her bed and rose her sheet in terror."Eeeeek! M-Maribelle?!"

"Heavens! You're as twitchy as a single count in a room full of unwed dowagers." Maribelle was still wearing last night's clothes and her curls had less of their usual spring, but she looked as spry as ever.

"Oh, I know. I'm sorry..."

"Well, I suppose it's partly my fault. I do walk with dainty, stealthy steps. But never mind that. On to business! Your first lesson is about to begin."

"What?"

"Lissa advised that you are unfit for battle at this current time and Robin has stated that you are to own at least two swords and if one is breaking, then to come to her immediately."

"But..."

"No!" Maribelle said with affirmation. "For the time being, we will instead focus on your conversational skills. I have a book here that will assist you."

Olivia realized she had no choice in the matter. "So, er, what do I have to do?"

"I want you to initiate a conversation with a gentleman."

Olivia gave a slight laugh."Pfft! Is that all? That'll be easy! I talk to my fellow soldiers all the ti—"

"I said a _gentleman_! Not some knuckle-dragging oaf from the sticks!" Olivia couldn't help but think of Gaius when she said that. "I want you to go to town, approach a NOBLE, and make his acquaintance."

"Huh?! N-no way! I can't talk to a stranger!" Olivia and the idea of strangers did not get along. Chrom and his Shepherds was a different matter because Basilio had informed her that they were a righteous and trustworthy group of people and she trusted Basilio with her life, but a nobleman like that? Especially since...

"What you think you can or can't do is irrelevant. You simply must do it. I know it seems like I'm pushing you into the deep end, but it's a proven method. It's called shock therapy, and it's the latest thing in all the finest courts."

"B-b-b-but..."

Maribelle didn't hesitate to scold her. "I spent all night reading this book and doing research. Are you going to waste all my efforts? You DO want a backbone, don't you?"

Olivia wanted to help people, to feel less useless towards others and the first step was to be friendly and not this wilting flower that could barely get in three words in edgewise before stuttering and feeling like a fool. Her shyness was something she was always plagued with since her childhood but ever since that incident, it got much worse. She thought of Panne and their conversation about the importance of being irrational.

"W-well, I guess it wouldn't be so bad...if you came with me?"

Maribelle's expression softened. "Darling, of course I shall accompany you! How else will I know if the deed is done? And this being your first time, a little moral support might be beneficial."

Olivia let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Good. Now I have to redress your injury and Sumia made a dish specifically for you. Come, now."

* * *

After Olivia ate her hearty brunch, Maribelle had whisked her away to her private quarters. She had taken out the old book as both stood within feet of each other. Olivia noticed that Maribelle had the similar habit of locking every other room, except she kept her key in a necklace.

"Are you ready?"

Olivia gave a weak nod.

"'There are four basic rules and principles we will discuss. Understanding and mastery of the rules will make you into an expert conversationalist. Rule number one is to have fun whilst engaging in the art of conversation with your chosen person'." Maribelle quickly made eye contact with Olivia as she read.

 _So far, so good. I like to have fun._

"'Rule number two: It is important to not get attached to your conversation partner. For it is that people are fickle and fleeting and it is preferable that you are the one to show no bounds rather than the person, in order to prevent any emotional upheaval'."

Olivia found herself speaking up. "Um? Isn't that kind of contradictory and fickle on the author's part?"

Maribelle put the book down. "While I do understand your logic, my dear Olivia, this book wouldn't have been published if not written by an expert in the subject. Let's carry on and try to save any questions for later." Maribelle had said this with a smile, as though she was glad Olivia pointed out this contradiction.

"'Rule number three: wear your heart on your cheek and not on your sleeve. By wearing your heart on your sleeve, you are therefore accepting the risk of defeat in the battlefield of conversation. And lastly, rule number four: make sure to be easily absolved. If confrontation were to occur, it is important to engage the enemy and quickly locate the faults of a person. Now in this book, there are multiple exercises to ensure success, but first we must start with the basics: appearance."

Maribelle put down the book on her desk for a moment and gave Olivia a scrutinizing look while hovering around Olivia like a vulture. Olivia didn't find it appropriate to describe Maribelle as a "vulture", but rather as a mother Wyvern circling its young. "You are well-groomed, albeit with unbrushed hair and chewed fingernails. I will have to file them or perhaps force you to put on gloves. We'll have to give you a wardrobe makeover."

Maribelle stepped away from Olivia and picked up the book. "'The first way to approach someone and make them feel at ease to give them a compliment. Make notes beforehand through astute observation and look for at least three positive qualities they do possess, that way you will have made an effort to suggest a sincere tone, as sincerity is universal in art of conversation. It is easiest to find compliments with hair, eyes, and accessories the person in question is wearing. Use metaphors, preferably those relating to extravagance or grandeur." Maribelle darted her eyes from the book and made eye contact before returning.

"Words like 'heavenly', 'enchanting', 'brilliant', 'captivating', and 'rapturous' will all be of great assistance to you. When approaching a person, use onomatopoeias and body language to ensure interest. For instance, a person may whistle to garner attention and instant adoration. Now there are several exercises written here and would be preferable to find a trusted partner for practice with. If there are no partners available, then it is equally suitable to use an inanimate object or something of the like. But first, let's use an example and draw from there'."

 _Okay, here it is!_

"'Hello there, my dear (whistles). You have such bedazzling eyes the color of the most azurest of sapphires'." Olivia wanted to laugh at Maribelle's didactic tone, but bit her tongue in her efforts to not disappoint her. Maribelle had said she had gone though so much to assist her with this. "Now you go!"

Olivia took in a deep breath. "Hell-hello there, my dear." The wound on her elbow ebbed as she shifted her body and put three fingers in her mouth to make one of the sonorous whistles she would hear after a performance. "You! Have...such bedazzling eyes! The color of the most azure of sapphires..."

"That tone of yours was all over the place, there, now wasn't it?" Maribelle said.

"Hehehe, yeah..."

"That's why this is a practice session, after all. Again, but with more confidence."

Olivia repeated the lines again and again. On the fifteenth try, she had managed to produced a high kick when going for the "legs all the way up" part. Maribelle had cheered for her.

"One more!"

"Hello there my dear!" Olivia said with confidence and gave a high pitched whistle. "You have such bedazzling eyes, which are surely the color of the most azure of sapphires." She did a quick dance.

"I think we've mastered the legs part, Olivia and I would not want you to exacerbate the wound. Let me mend it for a bit." Maribelle had quickly taken one of the staves in her reserve and mended Olivia's wound. The pain went back to being nonexistent again "Now I'd like for you to try a compliment on me. I will give you two minutes."

Olivia studied Maribelle thoroughly. She had to pick up three things. Maribelle did have lovely hair with impeccable curls. Her eyes weren't "the color of the most azure of sapphires", though and Olivia had to quickly come up with another gemstone. Thirdly...Maribelle did have an acute sense of style, even while going off into the battlefield. Olivia felt the safest option was to go for the former compliment.

"Hello there, my dearest Mari..." Olivia quickly realized her blunder. "Right. I'm not supposed to know you. Can I start over?" she said the question in her usual meek manner.

"Go ahead."

"Hello there, my dear! You have such bewildering curls the as brilliant as the morning sun."

"'Brilliant'! That's an excellent word to have used, Olivia!" Maribelle said while clapping. "You've made so much progress in this last hour! Let's keep going. I see great things for you if we continue at this rate!"

Olivia felt a quick surge of panic but the feeling was fleeting as she knew this exercise was for the greater good. Besides, it wasn't like she had anywhere else to be now that she was incapacitated from battling.

 **Thanks so much for reading, guys! Feel free to review, favorite, or follow. See you next week!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**How to Be A Heartbreaker:**_

 _ **Chapter 3**_

Four days had passed and Olivia was flourishing in her practice. She wasn't yet ready, as that nasty wound of hers was rather persistent and all of Olivia's confidence would dissipate whenever Maribelle brought up going to town. Lissa had made sure that it wasn't infected, but arrows were such a trifling matter. After this was over and done with, she would have to talk about obtaining better armor for her.

On the fifth day, Frederick had come in with Lissa and deemed Olivia fit enough to engage in basic practices in swordfighting and in running. He didn't sound pleased at the notion of not assigning her rigorous training but it was a small enough victory for him.

Whenever they weren't practicing with their drills together and fighting off easier to re-kill undead in large packs, they were practicing lines from the book.

Less than a week later, Maribelle had asked her usual question at the end of their sessions, "Olivia, are you ready to set out to town?"

Olivia was silent. "Better to get it over with, right?"

"So is that a yes?" Chrom had indeed been watching them in battle together and Olivia would make a standout queen if he had chosen her. He still hadn't made a decision as far as Maribelle could tell, though, and this kept her up at night. She knew Olivia was likely dancing in some other secret area and let the girl have her privacy to herself.

Olivia nodded and made a face as though she had eaten something rancid.

"Come, then."

Maribelle had prepared herself for this day in the last week for when Olivia would gather the courage to go to town with her. Maribelle always had a talent for organization and making sure things would go accordingly. That's why she she made sure to pack in a few spellbooks just in case something were to go awry.

Maribelle escorted Olivia to her bedroom and showed her a dummy that stood next to her boudoir that showcased the outfit Olivia would wear. It was something akin to Olivia's general style of a loose waisted white dress that went up to her ankles with multiple chiffon layers attached to it and had golden bangles and all sorts of jewelry reminiscent of the Feroxi style. Olivia would soon discover that Maribelle had also inserted a strap on the thigh made to conceal a dagger, but that was for her to find out.

"This is for me?" Olivia said, her eyes wide.

"Of course. I did research for styling not only for your body type and preferred style, but for something the Feroxi would enjoy wearing. It IS imported, if you must know. This is all about you. I have a wardrobe full of stylish clothes that befit me, but why would I outfit you with something that would look drab and insipid? The goal is to make you stand out, yes, but we need to convey the proper look and personality without having one of us be inferior to the other."

Olivia circled the dummy and ran her fingers through the material.

"Oh, and by the way, the outfit is yours. I would recommend wearing it on certain occasions. It would make a lovely wedding dress for you."

Olivia turned multiple shades of red at Maribelle's statement. This was why Maribelle had to hold off on telling her that she was on Chrom's line of sight. They had to deal with at least a nobleman or two before having to get to the bigger fish to fry.

"I will give you privacy for the moment as I will too get myself dressed. Be ready in ten minutes."

Maribelle was an efficient dresser to the point that she had perfected the art of putting on a corset all by herself. Maribelle herself had a flair for the color pink and this dress had indeed reflected the slightly more conservative Ylissian fashion.

Olivia was sitting on the bed, her hair in a horrendous contrast to her stunning dress. "We need to fix you up! You look like a troglodyte! By the time we finish with this, we will be queens together..."

* * *

It was still daylight when they were finished with their dresses and makeup.

Maribelle had prided herself on making a diamond in the rough such as Olivia look like the polished gem she actually was. As for herself, Maribelle loved the few times she could actually walk, talk, and disarm others without sorting to weaponry. She had her parasol up and ready to be twirled while Olivia stood tall and straight at Maribelle's behest. Other than Olivia's perpetually bent posture, Maribelle had also quite a tough time untangling Olivia's hair, but when she was done and her hair was smooth, Maribelle realized she loved the loose waves better than the intended bun she had originally set out to make.

As for the makeup, which was also equally important in someone's appearance, Maribelle focused on a pink palette for makeup while giving Olivia a more natural look save for red colored lips that would surely make her a standout.

When Maribelle looked at the result: she felt a surge of pride. She wanted to hug herself for her amazing job and effort. "Oh Olivia! You look ravishing! I'm so glad that you agreed to go on this excursion!"

Olivia blushed and Maribelle took that as her cue to open the door and make their way to town.

The two began to exit the estate and the large figure of a person was in sight and was making their way towards them. Maribelle inched forward to Olivia giving her a parasol a spin.

"Olivia, don't look now, but there's a man headed our way."

Maribelle was quick to make out the figure was tall and broad. She suppressed a gasp in horror as it wasn't a noble, but Frederick wearing one of the suits he would wear under his armor. It was clearly his break time and Maribelle had forgotten completely that he didn't fight or train anyone tonight. Maribelle was about to warn Olivia that he wasn't a target for conversation, but he was already too close. _Damn his wretched height and those infernal quick steps!_ Maribelle internally cursed.

"Are you lost, miladies?" he began politely but he quickly did a double take as realization dawned that this was Maribelle and Olivia dressed in finery.

"Hello there," Olivia said and gave him a dazzling smile. She eyed him up and down and whistled. "My, what a nice suit you're wearing, my dear. It really shows your rippling muscles and toned body. It's quite riveting!"

"Wh-what..." Frederick spluttered.

Maribelle recoiled in horror. She was perfect and had total confidence in her delivery but this was the wrong person!

Olivia winked at him and Frederick turned purple. "T-thank you? Hearing that from you is...is..." Frederick couldn't find the words and stumbled, but Olivia was quick to catch his vulnerability as she circled around him, her hands smoothing over his arms and chest.

"We'll be going now." Maribelle said as she pulled Olivia off their general.

"See you around," Olivia finished and continued her way out of the estate.

Maribelle made a mental note to later send Frederick a fruit basket tomorrow as an apology for her comrade's actions.

Olivia was oblivious to Maribelle's terror and smiled as she walked. "That was liberating! It was thrilling! I haven't felt that way in a long time! Not since we closed out the arena for the Yuletide ceremony two years ago!"

But Maribelle had to ease her with a small warning. "That was indeed lovely, was it not? I'd prefer it if you wouldn't flirt with any of the Shepherds, though." That was a fair way to say it, right?

"Okay!" Olivia said, still walking with a spring in her step as though she were floating on air.

When they made it to Ylisstol, Maribelle steered Olivia over to a well known noble's club located in the gentry district of the capital.

It was the only place in mind where Maribelle could easily take Olivia to without having to deal with lowlives messing matters up like they usually did. Well, it was a someone for Maribelle that came to mind.

"Names?" the man at the front door said.

"I am Maribelle of Themis. My companion here is the top dancer in Ferox and Khan Basilio's top bodyguard." Olivia lowered her confident guard and shot Maribelle a questionable look.

Maribelle responded by giving her a lithe smile and a twirl of her parasol, that contrasted with the look in her eyes that easily said _Let me handle this._

"Oh, Miss Maribelle. I haven't seen you here in a while. How is your father doing?"

"He is away on an excursion, but thank you so much for asking."

"I send my regards."

Maribelle responded by giving a silly little titter and smiled at the man, who opened the door for them to enter while Maribelle secured her parasol and flattened it.

"Now what do we do, Maribelle?" Olivia said as they entered the club together. Maribelle could feel lots of eyes on them. It felt odd for a second, since she was so used to being spoken to like the average woman by Chrom's army, but here...here she felt empowered.

"For now, we sit and get our drinks and food while watching the men. Now you remember the etiquette, right?" Olivia had surprisingly known basic etiquette during their practices. Basilio had taken Olivia and her troop out on dinners, which made Maribelle's job simpler in this mission.

"Yes!" Maribelle was starting to get used to the perpetually confident Olivia, even though there was still something unsettling about it. She liked seeing her blossom to what she had thought was her true potential, but something about it seemed...off.

They watched the men as though they were huntresses. The metaphor didn't really suit Maribelle and she didn't like to apply it to herself as a future pioneer of justice, but it certainly applied to Olivia, who watched the noblemen laugh among themselves

"That one's cute," Olivia said while gesturing to a man with light blonde hair. He was taking a drink with a black haired man close in age to him. They looked like feckless schoolboys to Maribelle. They weren't going to give Olivia a challenge. They didn't have that edge, either.

"No. We already had a blundering idiot in the form of Frederick. We need someone of a different caliber." Maribelle eyed the men in the club. They were of all ages. Some of them were young like those two gentlemen Olivia wanted to flirt with. Others were middle-aged and she saw an old, old man at the bar drinking something that likely contained a lot of alcohol and his drunken laughter occasionally managed to distract Maribelle while she thought. That was the other thing: Maribelle needed to pick out someone who gave a challenge, yet was nonthreatening and positively sober and of sound mind. What was the point if Maribelle wasn't going to stay on guard?

Maribelle and Olivia shared their small quiche as Maribelle made small talk with Olivia, but focusing on the men.

Olivia had wanted them young, preferably close to their age and would keep singling out those types in their conversation. While Maribelle wasn't against that notion in her real life, this exercise would require someone of a greater knowledge. Of someone who had seen a lot more than the boys Olivia preferred. In a way, Olivia flirting with Frederick wasn't so bad in terms of his age. The target had to be a man at least his age and possibly as old as Gregor, just not as slovenly.

"Also...Is it me, or are people staring at us?" Olivia said. They were one of the few women here and beautiful ones at that. The last time Maribelle visited this establishment was with her father but that was purely for educational purposes needed to further her goals in becoming a magistrate.

"We're quite beautiful, aren't we?" Maribelle said. For the first time in a while, Olivia faltered.

Maribelle kept an eye out for the men that entered as well and would quickly knock off those who brought wives or daughters. A man walked in with a swagger that reminded her of Virion, but he was considerably older than him with his receding dark blonde hair's and small wrinkles around his eyes. Speaking of eyes, they were a brilliant shade of blue that was identical to the compliments that Olivia had memorized. His eyes locked with Maribelle and Olivia and Maribelle beckoned for him to join them. He was also ludicrously attractive for someone at least twenty years older.

"That one," Maribelle said.

"Him! He's really old!" Maribelle rolled her eyes. He was definitely older than Frederick, much older, but younger than Gregor.

"He's worldly. Just look at him!" Maribelle had never seen someone look for comfortable as they aged. He also looked rich with that glittering cane of his. He was their target.

"Remember your lines, Olivia," Maribelle said moments before the man was in earshot.

"Hey there," Olivia said seductively and let out a whistle. "You have such bedazzling eyes the color of the most azurest of sapphire that I've ever seen." Olivia actually sounded sincere as he sat down next to her, even if her lines sounded a bit mangled.

"What's two beautiful ladies like you doing without a chaperon?"

"Ha!" Maribelle said. "We don't need a chaperon, darling! Olivia and I can make do by ourselves. We are women, after all."

"Such independent women too. I only ever see girls accompanied by their husbands or fathers. None of them are as brave as you two. Tell me, what brings you here?" he gave them a smile that looked so effortless and Olivia faltered for a second.

"We wanted to see _you_ ," Olivia said boldly.

"Me?" he said with a false air of incredulity.

Maribelle watched them talk and promised to intervene if absolutely necessary.

"That's a nice cane you've got there. It's quite enchanting, if I do say so myself." Olivia let out a giggle.

"I injured my leg in a duel a few years back, but I can make do without it. I just have a thing for diamonds. You remind me of a diamond. A glittering pink diamond, especially judging by your hair." It felt as though he was aware of all of their tricks and practices, especially since he would retaliate with similar lines.

But how could he when their sessions were private?

Something strange was going on, Maribelle could feel it.

"I'm certain it would make your legs go all the way up," Olivia said, exactly as the book stated. The man raised his eyebrow.

"I could say the same about you, Miss."

"Oh, my legs _do_ go all the way up! I am a dancer from Ferox, after all." Olivia stood up from the table and lifted her leg. With both hands, she extended her legs all the way to reach her head. The man let out a clap and Maribelle saw others do the same.

"Flexible. I like it."

Olivia winked at him. "I am a dancer, after all. What good would I be if I couldn't show my moves?" she said as she sat back down.

Maribelle could hear a familiar voice from over at the bar followed by raucous laughter. "That girl's such a Babe, isn't she grandpa?" Gaius was sitting next to the inebriated old man while eating what looked like a chocolate cake he was sharing with the old man. How did he even get in here?! He wasn't even dressed nice!

And Grandpa?

"If you will excuse me, I will need to powder my nose," Maribelle said, not wanting to tear herself away from Olivia.

"Uh-oh," Gaius said as she approached him.

"Is that your Twinkles?" the old man said. He absolutely reeked of alcohol. Maribelle fought the urge to pinch her nose. "She's a tall glass of water, isn't she grandson?"

"That she is," Gaius said while still chewing.

Maribelle recoiled in disgust and huffed. "Excuse me, sir, but your _grandson_ and I need to talk for a moment." Maribelle grabbed him by his coat and dragged him to the side of the room, where she could keep an eye out on Olivia, who seemed to be faring well on her own. Maribelle would be unseen which was good for what she was about to do to him was most unladylike.

"What in the world are you doing here! You...you incessant fly!" Maribelle brought up her parasol to whack him once again, but he caught it.

"Fool me six times shame on me, but lucky number seven makes you the fool. Though you ain't no fool, Twinkles. You're too smart and determined to be one." He leaned against the wall. "Saw you and the Babe practice the moves on men. Shoulda known since I gave you the book myself. But I forgot to tell you that the book had a jacket inside your father's drawer." He reached inside his pocket next to the lollipop and in her impatience and impending need to go back to Olivia kicking in, Maribelle had snatched it from him.

"Give me that!" Maribelle read the contents of the hardcover jacket. " _The Gentleman's Guide To Conversing With Beautiful Women_?!" Maribelle felt her eyes widen in dumbstruck horror and embarrassment. "Oh...oh gods."

"Yup. You and the Babe..."

"And we practiced lines from that book!" She felt sweat coming down her back and the pressure of her corset hampered her breathing.

He chortled. "And here I was trying to help you. Damn good job I did of that, huh, Twinkles? I still won't give up, though."

"You..." Maribelle readied her parasol once again, this time she was going to aim lower, where it _really_ hurt but Gaius inched closer and his lips met hers in an attempt to silence her. Maribelle's stiffened as his soft, yet sugary tasting lips moved against hers. He tasted like chocolate, which was actually pretty pleasant. His hands were so quick to move, as though she was some kind of treasure chest.

She had kissed boys before, but they were never as edgy or dangerous as he proved to be and their kisses discreet and chaste while this felt like a release of tension. One hand on her back and the other caressing the back of her neck, which proved to be quite a weak spot for her. Maribelle was...actually enjoying this?!

And just as had abruptly kissed her, he pulled back in the same fashion and she was left breathless.

"Oh, and watch for Blue, Twinkles. Heard Freddy talking about you two and your mischief." He said with a twinkle in his green eyes and sauntered out of the establishment much like a cat would. Maribelle was left alone, completely speechless and she dazedly walked back to their table, still feeling the sugary taste of his lips. She didn't even question the sudden appearance of countless tea boxes on the table and just sat there with her dazed expression.

Olivia had taken well to their now useless lessons, but Maribelle was actually the one who needed to learn a few more tricks. Speaking of, Maribelle tucked the book's jacket into her compartment next to one of her spellbooks as realization poured in.

If they were reading a gentleman's book, and this man seemed to top Olivia with his every word...

He had possessed this book too.

 _Oh no._

Maribelle shook her head as Olivia continued speaking to the man, who was clearly absorbed into Olivia's boldness. Maribelle had created a monster and didn't even know it.

"You know, I would care if you would soon join me for tea. O fairest of nobles?" Oh no. Olivia was going to reach the point of no return in a moment's notice. "Methinks heaven should count it's angels, for there is one standing in front of me! Those pantaloons must be made of mirrors, for I can see myse—" Maribelle sat up in an effort to conceal Olivia's mouth, but both were interrupted.

"That's enough, Olivia!" another male voice said.

The establishment went dead quiet as everyone's eyes were on Chrom. And Chrom was angry. Whenever Chrom was like this, you prayed to a god and hoped you weren't on the receiving end of his wrath. And both of them were.

Their companion also paled. "I suppose I'll be going, Olivia, dear. It was nice meeting you." The man quickly inched over to Olivia and stole a quick kiss from her. "Keep the cane. Not all girls are bold enough to have practiced what you've read." Olivia was starry-eyed as Maribelle fully understood the words the man said.

And he was indeed the first to run, as the book had said.

Olivia flushed thirty shades of red and sunk into her chair as Chrom's angry face moved from one girl to the other. Behind them was an embarrassed Frederick, presumably and justifiably still going through those odd events from earlier in his head.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Maribelle spoke up. "Oh hush up, Chrom! We were obviously having a good time tonight. Olivia had broken though her crippling shyness."

Chrom sat down and put his face against the desk in a despondent fashion. Frederick patted down his head in a reassuring manner in the most Frederick-like way. Needless to say, it was an extremely awkward gesture to have made in public while people were staring. He put his head back up, his face flushed red in anger. "You two were trying to pick up strangers in this town. You of all people should understand that your actions reflect on those of the Shepherds, Maribelle."

"We can handle any scallywags that come our way, right, Olivia?"

"Y-y-y-yes," she said, her confident demeanor having completely slipped away.

"I am very disappointed in the two of you. Frederick, have them run extra drills for the next three days for morning, noon, and night starting tomorrow, sharp."

"Of course, milord," Frederick said, shaking his head at the two of them. "Anything else?"

"That is all."

Chrom stood up from his seat and walked out of the establishment with Frederick.

Maribelle knew that both of them had lost their shot at becoming queen. It was probably for the best.

* * *

Later that night, Maribelle decided she needed to relax because knowing Frederick as well as she did these past couple years, he would indeed act on his intensive training. There was something of a weight lifted knowing she wouldn't be queen of Ylisse. She had other things to focus on, like becoming a magistrate and changing the some of the outdated laws of the halidom.

Maribelle had undressed, wearing nothing but a robe and scrubbed her face clean of makeup.

The tub in her bathroom had scalding hot water that was waiting for her to relax onto. Maribelle disrobed and hung the robe onto a clothes hanger by the door and slipped into the tub.

She found herself thinking of Gaius' kiss and how it made her feel different. How it made her feel unlike anything she ever felt before and yet this was the same man who had caused so much pain and chaos onto her family.

Maribelle slid in deeper and soaked her face inside the hot waters. She thought of how his hands grazed her back and neck and she touched them again to recapture the memory, her hand on her bare skin.

 _Ahhh._

Maribelle froze for a second, her body slipped into a colder temperature that sharply contrasted with the water.

 _Wait. Where's my necklace? Where's my key?_

Maribelle poked back to the surface, her hands rapidly feeling for her necklace with the master key on it as realization dawned on her why his hands were on these spots. "He...he used me!" Maribelle said as she got out of the shower and robed herself back and gathered her books.

She was going to find him and when she did, he was going to feel her wrath enough to last a lifetime.

Maribelle flew to the corridor and downstairs to the kitchen, where he would surely be snacking on more sugar, her voice sounding like a specter. "GAIUSSSSS!" He was going to burn for this.

 **Thank you so much for reading! I listened to How To Be a Heartbreaker by Marina and the Diamonds at least two hundred times on a loop while writing this chapter. Anyways, please if you have to say something, please do. Final chapter slash epilogue will up next week.**


	4. Chapter 4 & Epilogue

**All righty, here's the final chapter/epilogue. I thought about splitting them up but the word count for both isn't much anyway. Enjoy!**

 _ **How to Be A Heartbreaker:**_

 _ **Chapter 4**_

Frederick's exercises were brutal, to say the very least. Olivia had never exerted any part of her body as much as she had done in those three days. Her joints ached and she could barely pull off a dance move without her body feeling as though it were creaking. Needless to say that when Frederick wasn't making her do sit ups, chin ups (which was virtually impossible for both her and Maribelle to do only to have Frederick eventually concede and do more sit ups), push ups, hour long squats, and ten mile runs, he was making them practice fighting and dodging on each other and when they weren't practicing, Chrom had enlisted them to battle together against Risen skirmishes.

She had known Frederick could be passionate about workouts during her short time here but never this much. It served her right for embarrassing him like that, but on the bright side, he was completely unable to make eye contact with her which gave her a sense of satisfaction.

Olivia was too tired to dance at midnight. She was too tired to speak or to do anything.

Olivia felt well enough the day after their punishment to go outside, make a fire, and practice her dancing at the very same spot Maribelle had first observed her. She felt more flexible and lithe than usual, despite her joints still aching from the workouts. It also helped that she had a canteen of tea ready by the fireside whenever she felt overpowered. She also brought two cups to fill just in case as well as some backup boxes. She also had her brand new diamond cane to practice dance moves with and to use as a prop. She liked to twirl it like a baton and toss it into the air while pirouetting.

"Again, your dancing is exquisite, even though I cannot imagine physical exertion after all that!" Maribelle said as she sat next to the fire. Olivia didn't even panic when Maribelle showed herself. In the past weeks she had grown used to her presence. "At least you managed to make friends with that gentleman."

"I think it was worth it," Olivia said. "Oh! Would you like tea?"

Maribelle nodded and Olivia sat in front of her, pouring her a cup of tea.

"How is it that you still have tea?"

"I have at least a month's supply at the very least. Plus, he gave me that diamond-tipped cane. I don't know. I felt a bit guilty."

Maribelle took a sip and flicked her hand. "Such a small price to pay for the company of two beauties!"

"I still had a lot of fun, though, even if I feel guilty for taking all of this stuff." There was a small pause between the two of them as the fire reflected on Maribelle's downtrodden eyes.

Maribelle took a deep breath. "I came here primarily to apologize, Olivia."

"Oh gosh, no! Don't apologize! You were only trying to help."

"I was, but although I wanted to see you grow to your full potential, there were other reasons I wanted to help you socialize." Olivia raised an eyebrow. "I grew up as a duchess in training and I've known about the social pressures and demands of being a noble. I've been lucky that most of it has come naturally to me, but when someone as shy as you is spotlighted, I can't help but want you to shine. I wanted you to understand."

Olivia was truly confused now. "Um..."

"I was told that Chrom had interest in the two of us as his potential pick as his future queen." Olivia froze. _Queen? Me?! Then again, Chrom's always looked at me weird since I helped him out back then with Basilio._

"I wanted to help you in case Chrom proposed to you."

"But I've only said three words to Chrom since we met," Olivia said. He was probably attracted to her, but she didn't know him well enough to have fallen in love with him. In fact, there was no one in the army she had even felt remotely attracted to. She wasn't going to deny that she did feel attracted to Gaius for a moment, but he seemed to have more of a rapport and better chemistry with Maribelle. The way their their bodies would communicate whenever they fought or dance was unmistakable to her, even if he did flirt with Olivia and called her Babe. Olivia then quickly remembered he had a nickname for everyone in the army.

"There's another thing I should apologize for," Maribelle said while simultaneously sighing and shaking her head. Olivia offered to pour her another cup by gesturing the canteen and she accepted. They were now out of tea.

"Oh?" There was more?

"Remember the shock therapy idea? The one that led to all this? Well, apparently this is an exercise meant for...gentlemen only. When Gaius had given me the book from my father's study, it was old and weathered and some of the pages fell apart. It wasn't until he had given me the book's jacket had I known."

"So all those lines you made me say were..."

Maribelle finished for her, "Completely inappropriate for women of our station, yes. ...Especially the wolf whistles. ...And the bit about his legs 'going all the way up', yes. We had misinterpreted it as dance moves. Silly us."

There was a moment of silence between the two of them and Maribelle's already wide eyes were pleading with Olivia for forgiveness and Olivia couldn't take it anymore. She fell over her log and howled with laughter. That explains so much! And it also explained why Gaius's red hair was singed to the point that it was inches shorter if he was the one who gave her that book.

"What's so funny?" a confused Maribelle said.

Olivia kept laughing and made the attempt to get back to her seat. Her stomach ached, adding to the familiar ache of her abdomen from the workouts.

"It's just that we were SO serious! We spent all that time memorizing lines! And it was completely inappropriate! Ha ha ha! How embarrassing..."

Maribelle finally began to laugh alongside her, even if her laugh was a bit more hesitant. "It WAS rather embarrassing, wasn't it?"

"Well, your methods were wrong, but your lesson still worked. Before all this, I was terrified of even speaking to a man of that age and station. You were never told of how I got so close to Basilio?"

Maribelle shook her head.

"My troupe and I were performing for the Basilio and other nobles near and far. One of them took an interest in me and approached me that night to tell me how amazing I was. He was older too, about that man's age and I started getting gifts from him soon after the performance. At first, it was chocolates and other foods and I would throw them out because I didn't feel comfortable eating food given by people I didn't know." Maribelle continued watching her intently as Olivia told her story. It felt weird telling someone something that still felt so raw and had totally changed her as a person.

"He had spies who watched me throw away his edible gifts so he cornered me and asked me why I was hurting his feelings like that. Then he gave me an opal necklace in an attempt to make me his."

Maribelle shifted in her seat. "He shouldn't have to made you feel like you were his. Disgusting."

Olivia nodded in full agreement. "I was never his. He continued to have me followed. I'd see him in all of my shows, sometimes even during the day whenever I was shopping with my troupe. Things escalated when finally one night after a show he had paid the owners of that night's location to scatter and showed up in my dressing room." Olivia debated on telling her how he had stolen her first kiss without consent and how she slapped him and threw a prop at his face, but went against it. "He was there to kidnap me with the intent to marry me. Feroxi outlaws kidnapping, but if the man marries the woman, then it gets overturned."

Maribelle was completely silent.

"Basilio caught him in the act, though the man changed his tune and he tried to pin me as a lowborn dancer who wanted to use him for money and who had assaulted him."

"What? That pig!"

"Basilio didn't trust him to begin with since he was already suspected of corruption and took me in under his protection. That man still walks free somewhere on this earth, but I'll never forget what he did and even though I was terrified of speaking to another older nobleman like that, it was exactly what I needed to prove to him that I wasn't going to forever be stuck under the shadow of that incident. Plus, Panne also suggested that in order to reach that place, I had to push my limits and be irrational."

Maribelle was completely engrossed in her story. "This is why I want to be a magistrate. I promise you that someday I will find this man and find some way to punish him. I too was kidnapped, but actually so, but never manipulated and made to feel objectified."

"I still really needed that. Thanks Maribelle. Anyway," Olivia wanted to change the tone and bent down, grabbing her cane. "Anyway, and now I have this really nice cane to help me with my moves!" Maribelle laughed. "Say, maybe we should sneak into town and meet another noble! Chrom won't have to—"

"Olivia!" Maribelle scolded.

"Hee hee! Besides, I'd rather hang out with you than some stuffy noble gentleman." Olivia reached down to gather her supplies. "I'm afraid we've run out of tea. So then, would YOU care to join me for tea, O fairest of nobles? Methinks heaven should count it's angels, for there is one standing in front of me! Those pantaloons must be made of mirrors, for I can see myse—" Olivia was interrupted again before she finished her line.

"That's enough, Olivia. It's time you started forgetting those lines. ... Still, I DO enjoy tea. And it would be churlish of me to refuse your invitation. Yes, then. Let us enjoy a cup of tea as newfound friends!"

"Friends! I like that sound of that!"

* * *

 **Two Years Later**

Olivia and Maribelle were gathered for their once-a-week-midnight-teatime in the forest. Even though times weren't as peaceful as it was back when they became friends, they still had this ritual to keep them going.

They were older and slightly wiser and now married women but even then, they liked to let loose and joke with each other by reading chapters of trashy romance novels and occasionally going to town and chatting up noblemen and sometimes with noblewomen. Tonight's subjects was about their sons. Olivia had played with the idea of her future son playing together with Maribelle's future son when she got married and the thought festered once she met Inigo.

"And then I told him to say, 'WHOM did you piss off, Brady?' And then he sulked off! That insolent child!"

"Um, Maribelle, I'm not too sure that's totally proper speech."

Maribelle shook her head. "Such an uncouth young gentleman. He surely gets it from his ruffian of a father."

"Sons, right? Meanwhile I found out my Inigo doesn't want to practice dancing with me when I figured out he liked to dance too."

"Knowing you, he's probably a magnificent dancer as well. What a shame."

Maribelle raised her tea cup to her face while Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but they were interrupted by a loud voice echoing in the voices. "NO STINKING WAY! I AIN'T DOIN' IT!"

Olivia jumped out of her seat. "Eeeeek!"

"I know that voice anywhere," Maribelle said and put her teacup down. Maribelle made a run for it, parasol in hand.

"W-wait for me!" Olivia quickly put down her tea as well and went after her friend.

As she ran, she heard another voice. "Aw, come on! Don't be such a wet blanket, Brady! Just say it! I'll say it too! 'You have such bedazzling eyes the color of the most azurest of sapphires'."

Maribelle and Olivia stopped in their tracks as they were met with their sons, who had also made their own fireplace. Their gathering was a lot more reluctant than theirs.

"Ma? What are ya doing here?" Brady said, scratching his red hair.

"I-I'd say the same too, M-mother," Inigo said, unable to find his voice. He hid his eyes underneath his light hair, but Olivia knew he was unable to mask his embarrassment and reddened cheeks. Olivia saw her son holding onto a tiny book with torn and yellowed pages, but its shape was unmistakable.

"Oh don't tell me that's _The Gentleman's Guide To Conversing With Beautiful Women_ , isn't it?" Olivia said.

"Brady! How did you two find a book that unscrupulous?" Maribelle said, thwacking her son's shoulder's with her parasol much like she would do to his father.

"Uhh, my Mother gave that to me...to help combat my shyness," Inigo said, defeated. "I was...gonna help Brady here talk to the ladies..."

Maribelle and Olivia exchanged a knowing look and at the same time, they laughed together as their poor, embarrassed sons watched them in confusion as the fires in the night laughed alongside them.

 **A/N: I'm not sure if I'll write a sequel to this centering on the Brady/Inigo supports, but this ending was definitely the one I had in mind from the very beginning as a precursor to why Inigo acts the way he does. I have vague ideas over what to do with it but my need to finish editing my Pokémon story is currently my greatest priority at the moment so I guess we'll see...So if you like this story, feel free to drop a review and thank you for reading!**


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